Windsor couple spends their honeymoon in Paris — sort of
COVID-19 may have cancelled their wedding, but they didn't let it ruin their honeymoon
Windsor might not be the "City of Love" that one local couple hoped to visit during their honeymoon, but it's the best they could get during a global pandemic.
In early June, Shawna Beecroft and her fiance Emmanuel Ledoux started sharing photos on social media of their honeymoon in Paris — except the couple was actually still in Windsor.
Despite being disappointed that COVID-19 had not only cancelled their wedding, but also their two-week honeymoon, the pair decided to have some fun with their situation.
"The day before we were supposed to get married, I got really down and I was weepy all day," Beecroft said. "We were looking more forward to going to Paris than actually getting married. I didn't want to feel sad for two weeks, so I thought, 'Let's just go anyways.'"
On June 6, the couple posted their first photo at a bistro in "Paris" and, since then, they've visited the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, Versailles and the Arc de Triomphe, among other tourist hotspots.
They've also indulged in classic Parisian delights including croissants, baguettes, crepes and wine.
"I really liked going to Versailles," Beecroft said, adding that their driveway made a great substitute for the lush gardens of Versailles because of the tall hedges that line their parking spot.
Their photos and captions have even fooled some of their family and friends into thinking the couple is actually travelling abroad.
But for those who haven't been fooled, Ledoux said people have been playing along.
"[Everyone is] certainly enjoying it, people are laughing and are happy, it's a distraction at the same time," he said, adding that it's all about making the "best of the situation you're in."
The couple has been together for about seven years and got engaged last June.
Had 2020 gone as planned, they would have been married on May 30 at the Windsor Club. Due to COVID-19, however, they've pushed the wedding to 2021.
They're hopeful that they will actually be able to visit Paris next summer, but until then they've still got two days left of their European getaway — one that has heightened their expectations for the real deal.
"Hopefully [the real Paris] will live up to this Paris," Ledoux said.